Recap: THE LAST SHIP – Shanzhai

Episode 303 “Shanzhai”
Written by Jorge Zamacona
Directed by Paul Holahan

The episode opens with Captain Slattery (Adam Baldwin) and the rest of the hostage crew members on a swamp boat heading to a camp…somewhere. The hostage crew members are taken by their captors to a shack and CMC Jeter (Charles Parnell) demands to know where their captain is. This is when I notice that Slattery wasn’t taken to their shack.

Slattery was taken to another cabin; a gruesome place with a table with tie downs and empty plastic blood bags discarded everywhere. They tie Slattery down and begin to take his blood.

On board the USS Nathan James, Sasha (Bridget Regan) convinces Chandler (Eric Dane) and crew to set course for an ungoverned city in China. She believes they can get information about the whereabouts of the missing captain and crew.

Chandler contacts President Michener (Mark Moses) to let him know he needs to stay and figure this all out. He tells him he believes pirates are responsible for the attack in Vietnam, but Peng blew up his plane. President orders him to keep him informed. Chandler decides to make Granderson (Christina Elmore) his XO instead of Burk (LaMonica Garrett) for the decisions he made while he was in charge. This does not sit well with Burk.

Jesse (Dichen Lachman) tells Sasha she going home and she’s taking the helicopter. This isn’t her fight and she wants no part of it. Her job was to get them there and she did it. The guilt trip begins with even Granderson bribing her with treats to stay because they need her and her helicopter. It feels very Han Solo-ish at this point and I secretly hope she stays, because …well, it’s a good cause and she is needed.

Chandler decides that he will take Wolf (Bren Foster), Green (Travis Van Winkle), and a small crew on land to scope things out and Sasha objects. Sasha feels that Chandler is too important to be put in dangerous situations. Chandler basically shuts her down, because he’s the captain. So, they all go.

Slattery is getting weak from blood loss, but can still see what’s happening. He’s watching his blood being given to the head pirate, Takehaya (Hiroyuki Sanada). Slattery calls him “a vampire”. A pirate vampire, yeah, this is getting good.

Meanwhile, President Michener is having vampire problems of his own. At a press conference, a reporter badgers the President asking if Chandler is in Asia to prevent a war. The President insists that Chandler is in Asia to help spread the cure. Later, the same reporter corners Kara Green (Marissa Neitling) insisting that the US and Asia are about to be at war and wants her to verify it. She doesn’t, but the reporter doesn’t look convinced.

The pirates bring back Slattery, weak from blood loss, and they take Jeter away. Slattery explains that his blood was taken. Later they are taken to a feast. The crew notices that the meal is high in iron and protein. Why take their blood when there’s a cure? So many questions…

Sasha takes Chandler and Co. to see a man name Wu Ming (Allen Theosky Rowe). Chandler offers him a backpack of goodies, but Ming just wants Chandler’s “Top Gun” watch. He gives them information about the kidnapping and they are off to the marketplace in search of another man with more information. While in the marketplace, Chandler spots a local man wearing Slattery’s shirt and goes crazy on the guy and causes the MSS to come running. Chandler and Co. take off with the local man in tow. Wolf gets caught bringing up the rear and gets into a really good fight with an MSS soldier. Luckily, Green fires off his weapon to scare the MSS solider off and Wolf rejoins the team.

This is where it gets funny; upon seeing Wolf, Chandler asks, “How’s the other guy?” which Wolf replies, “I am the other guy.” Yes, I laughed out loud. This guy is great. And, here comes….Jesse! Jesse appears in the helicopter to shoot up the bad guys chasing them and to carry the crew back to the USS Nathan James. I knew she wouldn’t abandon them. It was very Han Solo of her.

Now before Jesse comes in to save the day, Chandler again tries to get information from the local man who was wearing Slattery’s shirt. The man would rather kill himself then give any information about Takehaya, and he does just that.

Jeter is brought back to the shack dehydrated and with low blood pressure. Diaz (Adam Irigoyen) and Miller (Kevin Michael Martin) sneak out the pooper of the shack and run in different directions. They try to get as much information as they can about their whereabouts before they are both caught and brought back to the shack. They immediately share all the information they gathered on their venture outside. Diaz shares the most interesting information; a working radio tower he saw. The hostages are then dragged outside.

Slattery is put on camera which is streaming on a local feed in St. Louis. He states that he and his other four crew mates are prisoners of war. The episode ends.

It was a pretty action packed episode, but still few questions answered. The fact that Takehaya knew Slattery by name leads me to believe he has more in mind than just taking their blood. I can’t wait to see when Chandler and Takehaya meet face to face.

What did you think of this episode? Share your thoughts and comments below!

The Last Ship airs Sunday nights at 9/8c on TNT.